The Lopez family goes to CALIFORNIA!!!!

Towards the end our Utah trip back in August, we took a road trip to California. It was a great chance for the kids to see a part of the country they have not seen since they were small, and a wonderful opportunity to see a bunch of John's family.  We had a great time.  The kids LOVED IT.  

They day before we left, John and I were shooting a wedding in Utah. We finished the reception that night, picked up our kids, grabbed our stuff, and drove all night. The kids slept the entire time (not even bathroom stops for them), and woke up as we were driving into L.A.  Easiest road trip ever. The first thing we did was drive up to the Griffith park observatory.  We had a picnic, got an eyeful of the Hollywood sign, and enjoyed the California life. 

A very tragic thing happens at this very moment in the vacation. MY CAMERA BROKE.  Just started giving me some weird code and would not take a picture not matter what I tried.  I was SO FRUSTRATED, as this was the first time seeing some of John's family is a long time, and I really wanted to do some family shoots.  But at the same time, I was SO GRATEFUL, because literally 15 hours earlier I was finishing up shooting a wedding and reception, and my camera worked beautifully through all that.  What a blessing.  I now have a new camera, and I'm getting that one repaired, so it worked out in the end.  Just bad timing. 

While in California, we met up with a bunch of John's family.  So many of them live in California, and so the L.A. area (Santa Clarita), was a good place to meet everyone.  We were able to see John's grandma who we haven't seen for a long time, his aunt and uncle, and a cousin.  4 of John's 6 brothers were there, his sister and her husband and her new twin babies, his mom, and two sister in laws and nieces and nephews. IT WAS A LOPEZ PARTY!  Sadly, I do not have pictures of every second of it like I wish.  I did steal these pictures below from my sister in laws blog :) , so I am not completely without.  We hung out, played at a park, went to the beach, went to a cool museum, celebrated a birthday, and basically just enjoyed each other. 

              Five of the seven Lopez boys.  Together once again.

Cooper and Carver mocking their uncles for having goofy mustaches! This picture cracks me up. Oh I love those Lopez boys. 

John's mom and some of her boys (above), and some Lopez women below!!!!  (me and my girls with John's mom and two of my sister in laws).

 Fun day at Santa Monica Beach .  Very different than Florida.

 Okay, here is where my true sadness come about my camera. You see these two darling babies?  They are my little niece and nephew.  John's sister susan had these little cuties about a year ago, and they are her first babies. She is 43 and a first time mom. It is AWESOME.  We fell in love with these babies and I was going to take SO MANY PICTURES OF THEM.  Maybe a special "twins" baby shoot.  Cousins shots. Etc.  I'm so sad that I didn't get to do that.  But we had the most wonderful time bonding with them.  Cooper and Carver still can't stop talking about them.  Such good babies.  So darling.  So sad we live so far away.

 Okay...this is funny.  The kids could not understand how the water could possibly be SO DARN COLD.  Yes...we are spoiled Floridians.

What a day. The Manti Utah Temple; A Wedding; And a Family History Field Trip

What a full and amazing day we had back on August 4th, 2011. Some of our friends from Florida had a daughter getting married in Utah.  Shanell Goodell. The wedding happened to be when we were in Utah, so I was so excited to do the photography. The wedding was at the historical and beautiful Manti Utah Latter Day Saint Temple.  What a beautiful day it was.  And what an amazing setting.  This temple sits high on a hill overlooking a lovely valley of a farming community.  The ceremony was wonderful, and the outside of the temple was just a great place for the pictures. My grandparents and great grandparents had been married in this temple, so it had some significance for me.  John was able to attend the wedding with me, as he had just flown into Utah, and that made it all the better. 

  After the wedding, we needed to head back to Provo to shoot the reception later that night.  We had some time to kill, and as it happened, Manti happens to be near SPRING CITY UTAH.  Spring city is a tiny tiny little town that my Danish ancestors settled back in the 1800's.  Two sets of my Great Great Grandparents on my mothers side went there to start this little town.  Both set originally from Denmark.  The Allreds and the Hansens.  They were sent there by Brigham Young.  My Great Grandfather Joseph Franklin Hansen grew up there and met my Great Grandmother, Anna Eliza Allred, there as a teen.  They married and lived there their entire lives. This house (below) was their house, and it looked the same except it was painted red.  My Grandmother Rodeback lived there until she moved out to work and get married.  My mother visited her grandparents here on their farm as a child and has such fond memories.  My Great Grandpa Hansen was the only Grandfather I ever knew, since my two other grandfathers died when I was very young.  By the time I knew Grandpa Hansen, he lived with my Grandmother in Salt Lake City.  I had a very special bond with him. I love learning about his history and about what his life might have been like.  I remember visiting Spring City as a child as well.  It seemed small and boring then.  Now... I LOVE IT.  Something about old building and the history that they hold, really gets to me. Maybe it is the photographer in me.  

This school is directly across from my Grandpa's house. It is the school that my grandmother went to as a small child.  It is AMAZING.  They don't build schools like this anymore.  It used to have a circular slide coming out the side upper windows (a fire escape), that we loved to play on as kids. 

I can almost picture Great Grandma and Grandpa Hansen resting in the shade of this yard, or sitting on the porch.  

This Rock house is down the street from my grandfathers house.  I believe it is their first home.  Maybe the home where my grandmother was born.  I'm sure if i am wrong...my mother will correct me.  Please. It seemed to be in the spot my mother and the history said it should be in.  Well, either way, its a neat old house.

Just the cool general store.  I would love to spend the day in this town and take as many pictures as I wanted.

This is my adorable husband and photography assistant for the day.  I snapped this later that night after the reception.  I had to include it because HE IS SO CUTE, he was a great help to me and I want to say thank you, and because I just love these mountains in Provo.  I'm so glad the whole day went well and I got to shoot this wedding and also feel so connected to my ancestors. 

THIS IS WHY! (Why we head off to Utah each summer for the past 10 years)

Every summer for the past 10 years, we head off to Utah for a month. This journey to see my family has been the result of lots of sacrificing, hard work, and saving saving saving. It isn't cheap to take my crew across the country. But I believe that it is PRICELESS to provide the relationships and memories that my kids get in Utah. Priceless!!!! Unless you live away from your entire family, it is hard to understand my motivation. That one month in Utah, with 24/7 family fun, helps me be happy the other 10 months a year living away from family. And I am. It does helps that our month in Utah works out to be a "working" as well as a "playing" month. I usually make up the price of the airfare with my jewelry parties and photography that I do in Utah, so it makes for a nice system.


All that said...this years trip was absolutely MAGICAL. Pretty sure I say that every year, but it is true. I think these pictures tell the best story. Family, friends, summer traditions, pool parties, girls night out, sleep overs, barbeques, camping, etc. etc.

Tons and tons of cousin fun

My sister Wendy and I...at the drive in movies.  Super fun night.                                                             

  My BFF from highschool Amy Stevens.  Like a sister to me.   She is so much a part of my summer fun.                           

             My mom is so wonderful to my kids

                                             Carver does some tricks at my sister's pool

                                                                                  

                                                                                                     3 of the 4 sisters

My sister Wendy, and my sister in law Jodi went to Provo with me for the week-end. Kinsey had been at BYU for EFY for a week, and we went down to pick her up. We just went a night early, walked around campus, went to dinner, and had some nostalgia from my BYU days. 

My mom is amazing. She had her second knee replacement surgery only about 8 weeks before we got to Utah.  She was doing great, yet still having a lot of pain.  Though we made sure she could rest a lot, she was so cute with my kids. One day she gave them an art lesson. What a special thing that was. She is an amazing artist and it was so sweet to watch her share her knowledge.  I will always remember this.

Fun at the Oliver/Stevens. Friends forever. One of our summer overnight spots.  Always!!!!!!!!!!

                                              Fulks family talent and variety show